Export simple animation to Unreal Engine: Do I need a skeleton?

Development Character & Animation
1

've just started to use (and learn) Maya 2022.

I have created this model (both parts are group, the bottom part is the parent):

monster.png

And also, I have created an animation that rotates both parts together around Y axis.

Do I need to create a skeleton to export the animation to Unreal Engine 4?

2

Yes. Skin the mesh to individual bones, then attach the bones to a root bone to secure a proper hierarchy. Export all these parts together into an FBX, then import it into the engine as a skeletal mesh.

If you don’t want to do that, you can export the two parts separately and do blueprint timeline animations or level sequence animations directly in the engine. Whatever works best for you.

1 Like
3

Thanks for your comment but I haven’t understood anything. There are two objects: the cone and the other one. Where do I have to set the bounds? In Maya the other one is the parent for the cone.

4

I can upload my Maya file to MEGA and do it for me, but I don’t think it is very polite to ask for it. Thanks.

5

You don’t have to skin it to a bone rig, you can just use basic animations as long as you have everything linked to a single root object it will import just fine, UE will make a “skeleton” when it imports.

6

You can watch this video Vehicle Modeling/Rigging Tutorial in Maya for Unreal Engine 4 - YouTube to understand making a skeleton in Maya for Unreal Engine. Watch part two for the import process : Unreal Engine 4 Vehicle Tutorial (Blueprint) - YouTube

7

You can probably export as an alembic geometry cache to use in engine.

Depends on end use…